Jbrown-

If ya want some STUNNING trim, check out my thread on this forum....

Pics are further down...

Faron

Here is a link that might be useful: Higher-end trim look...

Forget the second coat of primer and apply the finish coat, it will look better. Continue you're steps for the second coat and it is done.

Nothing else will provide as nice a finish as Satin Impervo, but if you are going to use a clean white, be mindful that it will yellow and that the yellowing is exacerbated in low light and in the presence of ammonia (both not uncommon in a bath). If you want the white to stay white, Waterborne SI or Advance (it will slightly yellow) are better choices but will provide almost as nice a finish.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have decided to try a few different products in various spare rooms and then decide which one I get along best with.

Faron - That is one smooth finish! I actually am having a hard time believing there is wood under that paint. Where do you get that brand?

Christophern - I think you are right about the primer, I just needed to put it on a bit more evenly the first time.

Paintguy - I had never heard that oil based paint yellows. Are we talking in months, years or decades? I had the BM designer come help me pick out a white and she choose vapor, which is actually a pretty yellow off-white. I definitely don't want it to go any "yellower". I might have to use the waterborn SI in the bathrooms. Can I use that over the alkyd primer?

I am off to finish the chair rail today, I welcome any additional advice anyone has before I start the trim on the main floor. Thank you all.

You would definitely notice the yellowing with Vapor.

With enough ammonia in the air, it can go in days but typically it's over several months or years depending on how bright the space is. You can use both latex and alkyd over the the alkyd primer.

You have a good process, but I agree, use water based paint.

Don't worry about the primer looking bad - all brushed primer on wood looks ugly.

I painted a stained oak vanity, using basically the same steps you did. I panicked when I saw the primer. I used SWS Pro-Classic, water based, which is equivalent to the Impervo.

Wow - you are really doing a lot of steps there. I just cleaned well, used Zinsser shellac-based primer and then latex paint. Trim came out great!
First coat of primer always looks cruddy. Keep going.

And YES, oil-based white paint definitely yellows. Found that out the hard way when I painted my kitchen cabs white in 1995 and then tried to touchup paint years later. No matchy!

If you're really picky about brush strokes you could add floetrol to latex or penetrol to oil paint. Thins it out so it's not so thick, and brush strokes will flatten, but doesn't effect opacity.

All previous advice looks good to me. Satin Impervo will give you good hide, fewer brushstrokes and a good hard finish but proper prep [which looks like you're golden in that dept.] and other factors can give you the SAME THING with acrylic finish coats, sans the risk of yellowing.
Muralo Ultra Semi-Gloss is a my rec., but get some schooling from whoever you're buying it from on how to put it on and make it look like oil.